With historical strengths in education, engineering, business, geology, and medicine, it is one of the top comprehensive universities in Canada.[5]
With over 18,000 students, it is also one of the largest universities in Atlantic Canada.[4]

Memorial's four main campuses are served by more than 1300 faculty and 2,400 staff members.

Memorial University has four main campuses and two satellite campuses across three regions of Newfoundland and Labrador, and in two countries (Canada and England). The main campus in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is split by Prince Philip Drive where the northern section is bounded by Pippy Park, and the southern section is largely surrounded by residential areas.
[4]

The largest campus is located in St. John's. Prince Philip Drive runs east–west through the main campus, with Westerland Road bordering it to the west, Elizabeth Avenue to the south and Allandale Road to the east. The majority of the academic buildings are located south of Prince Philip Drive; the Arts and Administration building, Science building, Chemistry and Physics, Mathematics, Music, Education, Physical Education and the Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation. The University Centre is home to the food court, bookstore, campus bar ("Breezeway"), and the CHMR-FM campus radio station.

The Memorial University Libraries contain collections of university Archives, Fine Arts 1880s to present; Human History and Natural Sciences.[6] Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive collection consists of manuscripts, tapes, records, photographs and artifacts pertaining to Maritime Provinces, specifically Newfoundland, Labrador.[7] The Queen Elizabeth II Library, contains 1,072,588 monographs, 104,587 maps, 5,655 audio-visual titles and 9,081 journal titles. The Commons, located on the main floor of the library, has computers available for use by students as well as a Digital Media Centre.

The Marine Institute is a marine polytechnic institution located on Ridge Road in St. John's within Pippy Park, north of the city. It has unique facilities such as a full ship's bridge simulator and the world's largest flume tank.[8] It offers degrees, diplomas, certifications and industry training for the maritime sector.

The Grenfell Campus is a 185-acre (75 ha) site in Corner Brook. It has approximately 1400 students, 156 faculty, 235 staff and offers programs in the Arts, Fine Arts, Business, Science, Resource Management and Nursing.

It had been referred to as Sir Wilfred Grenfell College until September 10, 2010.

The Harlow Campus, located in Old Harlow, Essex, England consists of the Maltings, which can accommodate 30 students and Cabot House which can accommodate 10 students.[9] A former schoolhouse and a teacher's cottage have been converted into a lecture facility and an apartment and a former shop has been converted into apartments. Memorial's Harlow Campus is not a school unto itself. Rather, professional schools and academic departments at Memorial use the Harlow Campus to deliver special programs.[citation needed] Harlow offers courses in Biology, Business, Drama & Performance, English Cultural Landscape, Fine Arts (both Theatre and Visual Arts), Faith, Love & Lore and History & Political Science.[10]

Over 40% of Memorial’s research is ocean-related (68% in the Faculty of Science alone).[11] If there’s research happening in the North Atlantic, there’s a high likelihood Memorial University is involved.

In 2009, Memorial University launched Yaffle to provide researchers and community partners an opportunity to connect and exchange ideas, expertise, research interests and publicly engaged activities in an open and accessible way. Yaffle is managed by the Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development at Memorial University.

Out of 50 universities in Canada, Research Infosource ranked Memorial University the 20th most research-intensive for fiscal year 2016, with a sponsored research income of $91.178 million, averaging $93,500 per faculty member.[12] Times Higher Education ranked Memorial University 17th among Canadian universities for subject-normalized total citations.[13]

According to Memorial University's President's Report 2017, Memorial's total research funding for fiscal year 2016-17 was over $100 million.[14] Memorial is the seat of 20 active Canada Research Chairs, and 13 sponsored research chairs.[15]

Memorial University operates and manages over 30 research units. Some fall under the direct authority of their respective faculties or schools, while others have a pan-university mandate or multi-organization consortium.

There are over 17,000 students currently enrolled in full and part-time studies at Memorial University. This number includes both undergraduate and graduate students. Approximately 85% of students are from Newfoundland and Labrador. The most popular programs include Engineering, Business Administration, Nursing, Education, English, Folklore, French, History, Biology, Biochemistry, and Psychology.[citation needed]

The department of Student Residences provides on campus housing at the St. John's campus in three residential complexes; Paton College, Macpherson College and Burton's Pond. The Paton College dormitories offer traditional dormitory style accommodations for approximately 1000 students in nine residences, called "Houses", and named after prominent Newfoundland and Labrador or Memorial University people; Including Barnes, Blackall, Bowater, Burke, Curtis, Doyle, Hatcher, Rothermere and Squires. Macpherson College consists of two "halls", Shiwak Hall and Cluett Hall, which house 250 students each, and were officially opened in 2013. The four "courts" of Burton's Pond apartments accommodate a total of 500 single students in four bedroom apartments, and provide a more independent lifestyle on campus. Small family apartments are available for students with a family, in Baltimore Court.[23]

There are currently 2,744 full-time and part-time international students enrolled at Memorial, hailing from 119 different countries around the world.[24] International students comprise 15 per cent of the student population.[25] Presently, Memorial has 134 student programs, exchanges and research partnership agreements in 40 countries. Memorial has an International Student Advising Office to assist international students with housing, health insurance, academic and career options. Memorial also has an international campus in Harlow, U.K., and is one of only two universities in Canada with a foothold in the United Kingdom.

Memorial University of Newfoundland is a non-denominational university in St John's, Newfoundland.[26] Memorial University began as Memorial University College (MUC), which opened in September 1925 at a campus on Parade Street in St. John's.[26]

The first president was J. L. Paton. It offered the first two years of university studies. MUC's initial enrollment was 57 students, rising to a peak of over 400 in the 1940s. In 1933 it merged with the adjacent Normal School and took responsibility for teacher training. During the College's early years it received considerable support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

The college was established as a memorial to the Newfoundlanders who had lost their lives on active service during the First World War.[26] It was later rededicated to also encompass the province's war dead of the Second World War.[27]Alan Beddoe designed the coats of arms for the Memorial University of Newfoundland.[28]
The post-Confederation government elevated the status of Memorial University College to full university status in August 1949, renaming the institution to Memorial University of Newfoundland.[26] Memorial University was established by the Memorial University Act.[29]

The enrollment in Memorial's first year was 307 students. In 1961, enrollment having increased to 1400, Memorial moved from Parade Street to its present location on Elizabeth Avenue (Main Campus).[26]

On 8 March 1965, the government of Newfoundland announced free tuition for first year students enrolled at Memorial University in St. John's.[30]
The Faculty of Medicine of Memorial University of Newfoundland was established in 1967, and the first students were admitted in 1969. It admits approximately 80 students into the M.D. program each year, and also offers M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs.

On 1 January 1967, Memorial University was registered as a charitable organization in Canada.[31]

Memorial maintains a campus in Harlow, England which opened to students in 1969. This campus has been a popular location for internships in Education, and now offers credit courses, work terms, and internships in a number of areas. The campus accommodates approximately 50 students.

Memorial established the Institut Frecker in St. Pierre in 1973, to offer one-semester French immersion programs. It was housed in a building provided by the archdiocese of St. Pierre until 2000. Now known as the Programme Frecker, it is currently run from the FrancoForum, a language teaching facility owned by the government of St. Pierre. The program is partly supported by the governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador.

View of the University Centre and the Memorial Tower on the St. John's campus

The Queen Elizabeth II Library

R. Gushue Hall

Bruneau Centre for Research

The Ocean Sciences Centre

In 1977, the Memorial University of Newfoundland Educational Television Centre implemented the Telemedicine project.

In 1992, the Institute of Fisheries and Marine Technology in St. John's became affiliated with Memorial University as the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland. Today it is named the Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland. It offers both degree and non-degree programs.

In 2008, the university's hiring process for incoming presidents came under scrutiny for political interference by the province's education minister, Joan Shea.[32]

On 1 January 1943 & 21 March 1946 Canada Post issued 'Memorial University College' based on a design by Herman Herbert Schwartz. The 2¢ / 30¢stamps are perforated 12 and were printed by Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited.[33]

Memorial has six faculties (Arts, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Medicine, and Science) and six Schools (Graduate Studies, Music, Nursing, Pharmacy, Human Kinetics, Recreation, and Social Work). These offer a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Memorial’s Faculty of Business Administration is recognized as a leader in Canadian business education,[citation needed] offering programs at undergraduate and graduate level, including a bachelor of commerce, international bachelor of business administration, bachelor of business administration, master of business administration, master of employment relations and PhD degrees.

The university's motto is Provehito in Altum (Launch forth into the deep). The shield of arms bears a representation of the sea, books, and a cross. The Arms of Memorial University have as their central element a cross moline.

The Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden is a botanical garden operated by the university. The collection consists of perennial and annual plants, aquatic plant, spruce, fir, and alder trees. The garden is located at Oxen Pond along Mount Scio Road in the suburbs of St. John's and was founded in 1972.[37] The park has adopted the Twinflower (Linnaea borealis) as its emblem.

Memorial's sports teams, the Memorial Sea-Hawks (formerly The Beothuks), are part of the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) league of U Sports. There are varsity teams in men's and women's basketball, cross-country, soccer, swimming, volleyball and wrestling.

Memorial University also has student media including a radio station, CHMR-FM, and a newspaper, The Muse.